MALTESE DALLI WRAPS MEPS AROUND HIS FINGER.

• Position: John Dalli

At his hearing, on 14 January, it was obvious that the Commissioner-designate for Health and Consumer Policy, Maltese John Dalli, had plenty of political experience. Dalli was able to answer all the questions flawlessly. He even made the MEPs laugh and clap their hands on several occasions. Wrapping the MEPs around his fingers, Dalli knew exactly the kind of answers they wanted to hear on several politically sensitive issues, such as what action the European Commission would take on animal cloning and in which direction the Commission would move with the directive on cross-border health care. According to Conservative MEP Malcom Harbour (UK), his performance was "very impressive". Harbour said after the session, "You can definitely tell he has served in a cabinet for several years".

Talking to MEPs, Dalli promised to "put patients and consumers first". According to him, the fact that he has been a cabinet member in his home country would prove useful in his new job. "I will bring my consensus-building experience and the expertise I have in various kind of sectors," he said. Dalli, minister for economics, finance and currently social policy, showed himself committed to increase awareness in the member states on "health determinants," such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol and other bad habits. According to him, it is in the long term much more productive and effective to focus on educating people about a healthier lifestyle than on focusing on research on one particular disease. He pledged to ensure high standards of consumer protection as well as food safety for all; said he would take action on animal transport; and promised to come up with a "report" on animal cloning within one year. On the latter issue, he said that "We need to have certainty but first we need to understand everybody's point of view and then come up with adequate solutions".

He promised to revisit the pharmaceutical package and said he will likely come up with amendments to the information to patients part of the package. This package has three parts, of which the information to patients' string is currently blocked by the Council. Responsibility for the pharmaceutical industry has moved from DG Industry and Enterprise to Dalli's future DG SANCO. "Patients have the right to have access to proper information on prescribed medicines, we have to re-assess the proposal and put a better one on the table," he said.

CROSS-BORDER HEALTH CARE

In response to a question...